Copyholder



March 19, 1940. 5, HARTSEL 2,194,019

COPYHOLDER Filed Aug. 26, 1938 INVENT OR. Gladys 5. Harfse/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE 5 Claims.

My invention relates to copyholders for use on a typewriter desk or table to hold in convenient position the stenographers notebook or other material to be copied, the copyholder being de-- signed to function as a receptacle "for a notebook orother material during storage or transportation.

The primary object of my invention is the provisionof a copyholder which is so simple in construction that it may be profitably manufactured to be" sold at a price low enough to attract every user or owner of a typewriter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of acopyhold'er which eliminates all of the unnecessary parts of the prior copyholders which complicate the operation and use of the previous copyholders and which unnecessarily increase the cost.

Another of my objects is the provision of a copyholder having a base with a table hingedly secured thereto with a pair of stops for preventing accidental movement of the table in either direction from its operative position.

Another object is the provision of a copyholder having a base and a table hingedly connected together with a prop hingedly connected with the table to abut against the base, the prop being spring urged toward operative position.

Another object which I have in view is the provision of a novel form of releasable paper clamp for clamping leaves of paper tightly against the table of a 'copyholder.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description, I will nowr'efer to the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view in isometric projection showing the copyholder in operative position.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the rear-surface of the upper end portion of the table and showing particularly the spring mechanism for actuating the props and the clamp.

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, the parts being shown in considerably enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing fragments of the base and table at the hinged ends thereof as they appear in the operative position of the copyholder.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the parts shown in Figure 4 as they appear when the copyholder is closed.

' The base Iii is in the-form of a tray having a bottom, a pair of upstanding side flanges H and i2 and a pair of upstanding end flanges l3 and M. The flange it as well as the adjacent ends of the flanges ii and i2 are cut away as shown in Figure 1 to provide V-shaped notches l5 whose function will be subsequently explained. In a similar manner the flange l4 and the bottom wall of the base it) are cut away to provide a notch Hi.

The table ii is also in the form of a tray having depending side flanges l8 and I9 and an end flange The table ii is secured to the base it by means of riveted eyelets 2! which constitute the pivot for the opening and closing movements of the table relative to the base. The relative dimensions are such that the flanges it and i9 lie outside the flanges i i and i2 respectively and that the flange 2t lies outside the flange i l.

The table i'imay be raised to operative position by inserting the end of a finger in the notch 66 to release the flanges of the table from frictional contact with the flanges of the base and by then completing the raising movement by upward pressure on any of the flanges of the table.

The upward movement of the table is limited to the desired inclination which aiiords the greatest convenience to the copyist. This limit of movement is provided, as best shown in Figures, by the lower edge of the table ll contacting with the beveled end edges of the flanges H and it. In the Figure 4 position the table i'i will support the original to be copied, the flange 93 serving as a ledge to prevent the downwardsliding of the material which is supported on the table. To avoid rough edges, the flange i ii is folded over on itself as shown in Figures and 5.

To the under surface of the table it are secured two brackets 22 which are spaced from the table by means of spacing straps 23. The bracket 22 is formed by curling the opposite end portions of a strap to provide two loops 25 and 25. Two props 2tare provided for holding the table il in inclined position to prevent collapse of the copyholder due to the vibration resulting from the operation of the typewriter, the props being automatically shifted into operative position when the copyholder is opened. The two props 26 are connected at their upper extremities by a pivot member 2'4 having its bearings in loops 2 5. For convenience in manufacture, the two props 26 and the pivot member 2! are integral, being formed from a rod of suitable length which is bent into U-form. A stop member 28 is employed for limiting the opening movement of the props. The stop members are somewhat wider than the brackets 22 in order to obstruct the paths of the props to as best shown in Figures 2 and 3 in order to limit the inclination of the table.

Ihe automatic movement of'the props 26 to operative position is accomplished by a pair of springs 29 which are coiled about the pivot member 21 and which bear against the props to urge the props into the position shown in Figures 1 and 3.

It will be readily apparent that the opening movement of the table I! toward its operative position will be automatically accompanied by the movement of the props 26. After the parts move over center, the props assist in the further movement of the table until they assume the Figure 3 position against the stops 28. The actuation of these stops is substantially simultaneous with the action of the stop shown in Figure 4. In closing the copy rack it is only necessary to first move the props past center whereupon the table l1 will readily be movable to closing position.

As previously noted, the opening movement of the table I! with respect to the base H1 is limited by the engagement of the lower edge of table I! with the edges of the notches l5 in flanges H and I2. After the props 26 are moved over center', the closing movement is limited by the engagement of props 26 with stop members 28. Thus, with the table in its Figure 1 position, only a limited amount of movement of table IT with respect to base I!) is permitted so that it is impossible to accidentally collapse the copyholder by bumping against the table ll.

The table I! is adapted to support a notebook but when the copy must be made from loose leaves of paper, and especially when the leaves are soft and flexible, additional holding means become desirable. For the purpose of clamping leaves to the table I1, I provide a clamp 30 passing transversely over the table and in pressing contact therewith. The clamp 30 is in U-form, the arm 3| passing through an aperture in the flange IS. The arm 3| is journalled in the loops 25, a stop member 32 being provided for preventing the accidental withdrawal of the arm 3|. A spring 33 coiled about the arm 3| holds the arm 30 tightly in contact against the table ll. To use the clamp, it is only necessary to lift the arm 30 and to insert the leaf or leaves under the arm and to release the arm into clamping position.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact terms that its construction and operation will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A folding copyholder having a base and a table hingedly secured together adjacent their forward edges, said base and said table being provided with engaging edges adjacent the hinged connection therebetween to determine the maximum inclination of said table, a prop hingedly secured to one of said members and adapted to engage the other to limit the movement of said table towards said base, a stop associated with the hinge for said prop to limit the outward movement of said prop and thereby limit the minimum inclination of said table when in operative position to an angle only slightly less than that of said maximum inclination, and means yieldably holding said prop in engagement with said stop.

2. A folding copyholder having a base and a table hingedly secured together adjacent their forward edges, said base and said table being provided with engaging edges adjacent the hinged connection therebetween to determine the maximum inclination of said table, a prop hingedly secured to one of said members and adapted to engage the other to limit the movement of said table towards said base, a stop associated with the hinge for said prop to limit the outward movement of said prop and thereby limit the minimum inclination of said table when in operative position to an angle only slightly less than that of said maximum inclination, and means yieldably urging said prop outwardly in the direction of said stop so that upon said base and table being opened outwardly to substantially the angle of maximum inclination, said prop automatically moves out against said stop.

3. A folding copyholder including a base having upturned flanges, a table having downwardly turned flanges so spaced as to permit telescoping said table over said base, means pivotally connecting the side flanges of said base and table together adjacent their forward edges to permit relative swinging movement of said base and table, said side flanges of said base being provided with V-shaped notches adjacent their forward edges, and means operative upon said table being swung away from said base to maintain it at an angular inclination substantially the same as that of the rear walls of said V-shaped notches whereby said rear walls of said notches form a continuation of the supporting surface of the table and the front flange of said base forms an abutment wall for the forward edge of the material resting on said table.

4. A folding copyholder including a base having upturned side and front flanges, a table hingedly secured to said base adjacent the forward edges of said table and base, said upturned side flanges being provided with V-shaped notches immediately adjacent the front flange, said notches being so disposed that the upwardly swinging movement of the table is terminated by the engagement of the forward edge thereof with the rear walls of said notches, a pivotally mounted prop for limiting the swinging movement of said table downwardly, and means for causing said prop to assume a position in which the angular inclination of the table substantially corresponds to the angular inclination of the rear walls of said notches whereby the bottom edge of the material supported on said table rests in said notches.

5. A folding copyholder including a base having upturned flanges, a table having downwardly turned flanges so spaced as to permit closely telescoping said table over said base, means pivotally connecting the side flanges of said base and table together adjacent their forward edges to permit relative swinging movement of said base and table, a bracket member secured to the under side of said table within the depth enclosed by said flanges, said bracket being rolled at opposite ends to form two bearing loops, a U-shaped clamp having one leg journalled in one of said loops parallel to the plane of said table, biasing means associated with said one leg to urge the other leg of said clamp into clamping engagement with the upper surface of said table, a U-shaped prop member comprising a base portion journalled in the other of said bearing loops and legs extending transversely to said base portion to engage said base, means associated with said base portion of said prop member to bias the free ends of said legs outwardly, and a fixed stop secured to the under side of said table to limit the outward movement of said legs and consequently the angle of inclination of said table with respect to said base when said table is in operative position.

GLADYS S. HARTSEL. 

